Can you waterproof your home with cardboard?

This was a question that came to mind when we got our first hole in our roof at the new house," can you waterproof your home with cardboard?"  Well the answer is definitely no, but it is an interesting thought and the fact that thousands of Americans live in cardboard boxes every day on the streets.  So in a way you can waterproof you home with cardboard but it does need some insulation.  The question is what type of cardboard do you need if you are going to end up living in a box and I found there are indeed different kinds.

The first kind of cardboard is the stuff you see in most packaging for products and cereal boxes.  This is actually the technical name for cardboard.  The use of this is astronomical and 80% of all products that are sold on stores are actually packaged in cardboard. This means that tons of it is actually being produced. This is not the stuff you want to build a house from because it will not insulate and not waterproof in any way.  

The old pizza delivery companies found out the hard way that pizza would not last an hour in a cardboard box without getting soggy and sticking to it.  This is where corrugated boxes were invented.  Dominos patented it and had 20 years of pizza delivery success and essentially a monopoly in the industry on the use of this special type of box.

 

This corrugated box is similar to the cheapmoving boxes we are all used to seeing and using.  Cheap moving boxes actually make up a ton of home for Americans living on the street and in areas that do not rain too often are great for keeping out the wind and holding some form of heat in.  It is in a way insulated and yet does allow air to move through it. 

With a liner inside or outside of the corrugated box you are able to build a strong structure that can be taped or stapled together in order to create a larger home.  I know it does sound nuts but this is also a way that many people in the third world live and are able to get out of the elements to be healthier. So cardboard boxes are really important for shipping, and for living and without them many people would not be able to afford a way to get out of the weather.